When it's too late
by My Reminiscence
Summary: Two-shot. They say that you only realize someone's worth when the person is gone. When Lightning Lad's had enough, Saturn Girl learns this lesson the hard way.


**Well, I thought that it would be nice to start an Author's note with the reason for this horribly sappy thing. Well, my sister got her fanfiction account before me (_little_ sister, as much as I hate to admit it), and since I decided to get an account too, I did. Well, the only problem is... well, the same sister made a bet with me and whoever would lose would do anything the winner says.**

**Bottomline is, I lost.**

**So here we have it--the fanfiction that would degrade every inch of my masculinity (whatever of it is left. I have five freakin' sisters and my dad works overseas.) Without further adieu, the story...**

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Saturn Girl leaned on the porch indulgently as her companion talked about strategies, advances and others. A soft smile graced her lips as she listened to him, laughing once in a while as he remarked on some imperfection in the team that seemed overly amusing; her eyes drinking up everything he was saying. Although others found him pompous and obnoxious, she found him mature and nice—who would wonder?—he _was_ one of her childhood friends. Cosmic Boy had been discussing to her about the Legion for the past few hours, and the two wee apparently having a great time.

Honestly, she liked being with the boy a lot. She liked listening to his insights, how well they sounded—how his voice was well-modulated and mature. He was a leader and proud to be one—it was shown in his steps, how confident he looked. He didn't do nonsense and made sure that everything was perfectly organized—traits of his she admired. Heck, they had bad events in the past—but all of that seemed to go down the drain; he was still her friend. And although she felt uncomfortable about this, she liked being with him more than being with _Lightning Lad._

_I'm in the business of misery,  
Let's take it from the top.  
She's got a body like an hourglass; it's ticking like a clock.__It's a matter of time before we all run out; _

_When I thought he was mine she caught him by the mouth._

They were having a good time, it was evident. They had such a good time that they didn't notice someone listening to them behind the wall.

Lightning Lad leaned on the wall with eyes closed; listening to everything as his arms were crossed. He had been listening in on him for hours, hearing everything they had to say. He heard Cosmic Boy make comments about the team—how Brainy's shot was actually 3.5 percent inaccurate, how Bouncing Boy needed to practice his bounce more, and check this—how _lousy_ Lightning Lad performed during the last mission. Hey, it was Cosmic Boy; he understood _that_. But the bad part is that Saturn Girl _laughed_ at that. Laughed at _him_.

_So it's gonna be like that, huh?_ the boy thought, still leaning on the wall with crossed arms. _Well, fine. I'm through with that, anyway._

As it turns out, Lightning Lad was an expert in hiding his thoughts. Ever since he learned that the girl could read minds, he kept all those thoughts hidden—so nothing could ruin his chance. But _no_—it seemed like the girl made her choice already. And he was through with all of that. He decided that it was time to move on.

Walking down the hallway as quietly as he could, he didn't notice someone pass by. Luckily the impact wasn't that hard—the woman just staggered a bit, caught by surprise Looking up, the boy saw that the person was none other than Dream Girl—former arch nemesis and new friend. He quickly apologized.

"Didn't see you there! You okay?" the boy said, helping her regain balance. The woman then planted her feet on the ground and smiled, showing that she was okay. "It's fine, Lightning Lad—no broken bones." She said jokingly, crossing her arms. The boy laughed too, but there was a trace of disappointment in his tone. The girl had noticed this.

"Anything wrong, Lightning Lad? You seem to be discouraged." Dream Girl spoke, concern present in here eyes. The boy waved it off and went his way, going towards the nearest hallway.

"It's nothing, Dream Girl. I just need to think." He spoke, quickly moving down the hallway. But Dream Girl knew better. Running towards the boy, she took him by the shoulder—startling him a bit. The boy looked confused.

"I can hear your dismay." She spoke, taking her hand off his shoulder as he looked at her. "It's probably not my business to butt in, but why don't you come to the fair with me? Probably a little fun would help you take off your mind on the matter." The girl's eyes glittered with worry. "You haven't been acting like yourself nowadays."

"Fair?" the boy said questioningly, still looking confused. The girl nodded, concern never draining from her eyes.

He thought a moment. Maybe it was a good thing to go—but it seemed like a weird remedy to him. He didn't know if he wanted to go—if this really would solve his problem. Yet the concern in the girl's eyes was undoubting—he felt a bit comfortable with her gaze. Those gray eyes seemed to show comfort, reassurance—the boy couldn't help but smile. "Alright then. I'll go with you." The boy said, smiling weakly. The girl's eyes shone in delight, relief flooding her eyes.

"Wonderful! We'll go there this afternoon." She spoke, hugging him all of a sudden. With the boy stunned, the woman then disappeared into the hallway opposite.

_I waited eight long months,  
She finally set him free.  
I told him I couldn't lie he was the only one for me.  
Two weeks and we caught on fire,  
She's got it out for me,  
But I wear the biggest smile_.

But nobody saw the woman waiting in the hallway, watching the whole scene progress before her eyes.

After speaking to Cosmic Boy, the boy left and Saturn Girl was about to go to her quarters. Shock hit her full force as she saw Dream Girl hug Lightning Lad—and knowing him, she knew he would never let _anyone_ do that without his permission. And yet, he let Dream Girl hug him—the woman whom he despised a week ago. She couldn't understand it. What was Lightning Lad thinking?

She felt like something sank within her as she watched the scene. There was something wrong with the scene, and something disturbed her—and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.

She couldn't even perform a brain probe on him—nowadays it was like she held back on these things. She knew that two years ago, she would've checked in and out of his mind whenever she wanted—out of muse or whim or importance. Yet she just kept on holding back now—maybe the boy meant more to her than she thought? Possibly. She was starting to feel guilty about her thoughts about him earlier.

Walking down briskly, she tried to clear her mind of such worrisome thoughts. When was the last time they had a decent conversation together? As much as she enjoyed Comic Boy's company, she was starting to feel a bit detached from Lightning Lad. She was even starting to—Heaven forbid—_miss_ the boy. He was always there for her when she needed him. But was the feeling mutual?

Turning a corner to her room, she barely had opened the door when Cosmic Boy contacted her on her transmitter. She smiled. The face was quite familiar.

"Didn't we just talk a while ago?" Saturn Girl said, slightly exhausted. Who knew that thinking about Lightning Lad tired her out so much? Smiling, she added, "What's it about this time? More strategies?"

"Uh…not quite." Cosmic Boy said rather nervously. Wait a minute—Cosmic Boy? Nervous? This was new. The boy cleared his throat a bit, with a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. "Well, um, Imra… everyone knows that the fair's coming this afternoon, right?" the boy spoke, his voice shaking slightly.

"Of course, Cosmic Boy. Why? Do you need someone to patrol it? You _do_ seem a bit nervous." Saturn Girl spoke, her brows furrowing in worry. The boy still seemed a bit sheepish.

"About that. Well… there's no need to patrol it, but…"

"But what?" the girl spoke forcefully, a bit anxious. Was there a break-in? A crime? Something bad happened? It always worried her whenever he didn't seem in character. She always thought that there was a big danger every time her did so. "Tell me, Cosmic Boy!"

"Well, Imra… I just wanted to know if, uh, you would come with me to the fair." The boy finished, leaving Saturn Girl in a state of confusion. He wanted to take her to the fair? With no danger? This was quite… unexpected. Still puzzled, she then responded. "Um… sure, Cos. Whatever you say." The girl spoke in a bewildered manner.

The boy flashed a relieved smile. "That's wonderful, Imra! I'll see you this afternoon!" And with that, the transmission ended. The girl blinked in confusion, looking at the now-empty transmitter. This was quite—awkward. "Sure," she said to no one in particular, and headed for her room.

That afternoon, she walked slowly next to Cosmic Boy as they checked out the fair. High-tech booths and fun rides bombarded the place, with circus people dressed in colorful latex costumes. There were advanced versions of games played in the past, and there were dating lovebirds trying to win their special someone a prize. Cosmic Boy seemed to adapt to this idea, and headed for the nearest booth. Curiously, Saturn Girl followed—with foreseen knowledge that his was another attempt to impress.

"I'll win you a prize!" Cosmic Boy boasted, paying the booth man a few coins. Saturn Girl smiled weakly and rolled her eyes, totally not expecting the scene she saw.

Dream Girl and Lightning Lad were there as well—with the woman wrapping her arm around his.

_Whoa, I never meant to brag  
But I got him where I want him now.  
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag  
To steal it all away from you now.  
But boy does it feel so good,  
'Cause I got him where I want him now.  
And if you could then you know you would.  
But boy it just feels so...  
It just feels so good._

"This is awkward." Lightning Lad mumbled, scratching his red crop sheepishly with his free hand. Dream Girl wrapped her arm around his to help calm him down—knowing that he'd be a bit nervous upon coming here. She gave him a reassuring smile, looking around eagerly.

"It's because this is your first time here. You'll get used to it, I promise." The girl said, pointing at a booth suddenly. She then looked up at him with eager eyes—an expression that reminded him of his sister every time she was excited about something. "Why don't we try that booth for starters? You'll love the game, I promise."

"Whatever you say, Dream Girl." Lightning Lad said, giving a sheepish smile. He decided to let her take control for a while, since he didn't know much around. The girl smiled, clapping her hands together. She then pulled him towards the booth, and paid the man a few coins. The name of the game was to trace around the wire bent into intricate styles, without touching the wire itself.

"The most unwinnable of them all!" boasted the booth man. The girl then handed the boy the tracer, smiling.

"He'll beat the game, Al." The woman said, pushing the boy towards the wires. The boy protested for a while, but once he was near the wires, he knew that there was no point of return. "Win an' you'll be getting' a prize! Lose an' you lose your money!" the man spoke, with the boy sighing.

"Did you have to give him _my_ cash?" the boy protested, with the girl still smiling. Groaning in contempt, he began to trace the wire. Slowly but surely, he was on a roll until the metal touched the alarm—which resembled a police siren to a tee. The boy grunted.

"You lose!" the booth man mocked, which sent Lightning Lad into an annoyed dudgeon. He slammed more coins on the counter. "I'm not through with this yet, buddy!" the boy yelled, and began tracing again. The booth man smiled smugly, and as expected, the siren signaled again.

"You lose again! Tough luck, kiddo!" the man yelled mockingly, which sent the boy into a seething rage. "You're doing something, old man! I just know it! One more!" Lightning Lad spoke, slamming more coins onto the counter. Dream Girl began to look concerned.

"That's enough, Garth! It's only a game!" Dream Girl explained, but Lightning Lad seemed deaf to her.

"The old man's a cheat! I'm gonna win this one!" The boy muttered silently, getting the tracer again. Dream Girl then noticed the sparks emitting from his metal arm, causing her eyes to widen. "No Garth! You can't possibly…"

Yet it was too late. Luckily, the boy just emitted enough sparks to short-circuit the siren—with him winning the game instantly. The man's jaw seemed to dislocate as he saw the boy's triumph, and anyone could've sworn that a fly could fly into it any second. "You… won… the game…" the man said speechlessly, with the boy giving his most triumphant smirk.

"Of course I did," the boy spoke; with the man handing the boy a large stuffed animal. The two then left the booth, and the man just watched them walk away speechless. Dream Girl hugged the teddy bear with a reprimanding expression on her face.

"You cheated!" she scolded.

"'Course I did," the boy said triumphantly. "The man held the wires on a sensor—it was virtually _impossible_ to beat!" The girl seemed astonished at this knowledge, her face breaking into a glad admiration.

"That was pretty smart! It was amazing how you figured that out!" the girl praised, and in a split second, the two locked eyes. There seemed to be a bit of chemistry in those brief moments, and the two both broke into small smiles after that. Dream Girl blushed a bit after the incident, then led him to another booth.

"We might win this one too!" the girl exclaimed. "I can see it!"

_Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change.  
Once a ---- you're nothing more, I'm sorry, that'll never change.  
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged.  
I'm sorry honey, but I passed it up, now look this way._

A feeling creeped into Saturn Girl's gut as she saw the two having fun at the booth.

Lightning Lad seemed to use one of his old tricks to win one of the booths, that's for sure—she knew him all too well about that. Even when they were kids, he used to do the same thing for her—not at a fair like this, but when there used to be game booths stationed across the street. The thought of it just made her feel guiltier—and possibly—a bit jealous. She knew she was being a bit selfish at this point, yet…

She just missed him. Yes, she was admitted it—she missed the lug _terribly_.

_I shouldn't have laughed at that joke,_ she thought, taking a quick glance at the two. She knew she should've stopped once she sensed his presence, but _no_—she just _had_ to laugh. A wave of regret hit her with full force as she hugged the prized given to her by Cosmic Boy—which meant _nothing_ to her right now. A scene suddenly came to mind as the two headed towards the Ferris wheel; with Dream Girl holding his hand.

"_Are you thinking about your brother?"_

"_You tell me."_

A tear threatened to slide down her face as the conversation came to mind.

"…_I'm sorry. I thought they were so cool—maybe forget what being a hero is all about."_

"_But you didn't. You're a good person, Lightning Lad…_ that _will never change."_

"_Thanks."_

Walking alongside Cosmic Boy, she stared at the Ferris wheel silently—watching the two board it happily. A certain loneliness began to curl up in her, with Cosmic Boy's jabbering muffling away with her thoughts. The sun was setting with as the two boarded it; Dream Girl's smile as bright as the sun. Lightning Lad was equally happy—beaming a smile so big that she thought it would hurt his face. She suddenly wished with all her might that _she_ might be in her place; happy and without regret…

_Well there's a million other girls who do it just like you.  
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who,  
They want and what they like it's easy if you do it right.  
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!_

The sunset seemed to emit a million colors into the sky as it shone down; perfect for all young couples boarded on the Ferris wheel. For the two superheroes, though—the event was quite awkward. The initial giddiness of getting on to the ride had wore off… and they were now at the top of the Wheel. Staring at the sun blankly, they jerked their heads around awkwardly. Clearing his throat, Lightning Lad was the first to break the silence.

"Wow… another awkward moment." The boy spoke, chuckling afterwards. Dream Girl made a sheepish smile and pet her long hair down; looking a bit embarrassed. Lightning Lad wasn't the only one who thought that this scene was awkward. She then led out a relieved sigh, finally speaking.

"You seemed to be on a roll with the prizes, Lightning Lad." She said, chuckling. "It's just no fair that you didn't let me win one."

"You could've told me, you know. If you knew that I was gonna have a winning streak, you could've stopped me." The boy defended lightheartedly. Dream Girl smirked and hit the boy strongly on the shoulder, which filled the cart with more laughter. The sun had finally set, and the two looked back at the horizon again. A slight tension began to from between the two once more, causing the girl to blush a bit. Turning to an awkward Lightning Lad, she led a soft whistle.

"Nice night, huh?" she spoke, still embarrassed. The two met eyes for a while, then looked away. The boy was the next to speak.

"Yeah. Dark." He said briefly, drumming his fingers on his knees.

"And colorful." Dream Girl spoke, looking at the lights beneath them.

"And romantic." Lightning Lad said, not knowing what he said until a few moments later after he did. In embarrassment, he covered his mouth quickly and lowered his arms slowly like an injured poodle. Looking down in embarrassment, he gripped the sides of his seat. "Sorry. I… I didn't know what I was saying."

"It's fine." The girl stated, gathering confidence. She then turned to him in a reassuring way, yet her eyes were indefinable. "So… romantic?"

"Yeah… with the lights, and the wind, and the moonlight…" the boy spoke, leading to incoherent gibberish as he continued talking. The girl chuckled at the gibberish, and the boy seemed to blush a bit. He then turned to face her, with a shy smile on his face. The girl never expected this—she'd never seen the boy so embarrassed before. Bringing his chin up for reassurance they looked at each other for the longest time.

Her eyes reminded him of a sanctuary; that he would be safe with her. He never felt this safe for the longest time, and it was in her eyes that he felt a safe haven. His eyes were electrifying for her, as if they threatened to take her breath away. In a second, without knowing it, the two leaned into each other and kissed—and on queue, fireworks lit up the sky. After a while, the boy pulled away as if an intense pain had hit him. She held fast onto his hand to comfort him.

"Anything wrong?" she said in concern, looking at him worryingly. The boy shook his head violently and shrugged it off; holding onto his head.

"It's nothing," he responded. Making a soft smile, he spoke again. "Nothing to worry about."

And in the bright array of colorful fireworks, he leaned in closer again—with the picturesque scene being perfectly framed by the light of the full moon.

_I watched his wildest dreams come true  
Not one of them involving you  
Just watch my wildest dreams come true  
Not one of them involving…_

A mental scream was all she was able to lead out.

She had been watching the whole scene all the time, and as it progressed, a sinking feeling delved in deeper within her. And as the main event happened, she just _lost it_. She lost him, just as she feared. And the pain was much more intense than she thought it would be.

The tear that patiently waited to roll down finally had its chance, as well as many others as well. She never expected it to hurt this much. Probably a little pang would've been just fine, but this… she couldn't handle it. She never knew how much she really cared about him until now. And that was what hurt the most.

"Hey, Imra? Are you okay?" came the voice of Cosmic Boy, who just won the girl yet another prize. "You're crying. Anything the matter?"

Wiping the tears off her face rapidly, she turned her back on him. Now of all times, she wanted to be alone. "It's nothing, Cosmic Boy. I just want to be by myself for a while." She spoke, trying her best to conceal her shaking voice. Cosmic Boy immediately reprimanded her, grabbing her by the wrist.

"You? All alone? That just can't happen, Saturn Girl! You cant' go out—"

"Just let me go!" the girl cried in a defying manner, looking at the boy angrily. "Now would you stop treating me like a child, Cosmic Boy? I want to be alone!"

The boy was left speechless at that statement. His hand going limp from his own grasp, the girl flew away into the skies—nearing the bright moon that shone as brilliantly as ever. She didn't bother looking back at all the fun. She was a pile of misery right now, and she didn't want to be reminded of it.

Sometimes, you need to lose something to know its worth.

_I'm in the business of misery,  
Let's take it from the top…_

_

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**Ugh. The romance just _kills_ me. Sadly, there's another one like this coming up and it just _insults_ me. Well, for inspiration, I asked a female friend for an idea. She said "Misery Business", so I researched it (I'm THAT prehistoric) and _voila! _**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this, though.**


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